One of the best directors in horror is Dario Argento. He is an Italian horror director that creates lavish set pieces, with amazing colors and commentary that is absolutely grand. I love his work, and have reviewed many of his movies on this website. However, today, we are going to talk about one of my favorite movies of his, and it’s “Deep Red”. This is a movie that features a lot of different elements that you would get from horror, and with the idea of “Gialo” detective movies. The music, the visuals, and the story will definitely stun most.
The movie features a man that looks a lot like Paul McCartney, and he is a piano player. He is working on a piece when something happens during a lecture. A psychic seems to see something evil, and she senses it. When this is all said and done, she goes to her apartment, and out comes a figure in the dark and hatchets her to death! I kid you not. You don’t see the killer, you get a POV version of the events. This also occurs to several other people that have something to do with the music, and our main composer is on the hunt, alongside a journalist. The two have a slight love story, but the bodies keep piling up. Along the way, you get to see POV style death sequences that are over the top, grotesque, and yet charming with the way that Dario Argento works through the color palette and the music of Goblin. Great stuff.
The movie is a bit slow, and my version of the movie didn’t have subtitles at all. It would cut in and out of Italian, and it was a bit difficult to manage. There was dubbing for half of the movie, and the other half had Italian. Now, I speak Spanish and Italian is not too far away from it. I liked that, and it was interesting to listen to the languages. Goblin’s score is great overall, and I loved it.
As for the movie, this is an interesting take on horror, and features a detective subplot, with a little love thrown into the overall elements. However, when the killer is revealed, you feel like air is coming out of a balloon slowly. The buildup is epic, but you’re going to end up laughing at the ludicrous nature, and the overall findings. It’s funny, and not at all what you’d expect. However, the special effects, the visual design, and the movie is quite good overall.
Dario Argento’s “Deep Red” has a lot of creepy moments. Good direction, misdirection, and quality music from Giorgio Gaslini and Goblin. It really is a good horror movie, and it’s paced well, with some great elements of fear, especially considering this was from 1975 of all years.
Ok, that’s not true, I just think that the genre is stale for the most part. While many people will try to argue with me, those people don’t have a blog that has been reviewing horror since 2008, do they? My eyes were burning today, and therefore I decided to call my day early, and this thought crushed my mind, “what are 5 killer zombie movies you would recommend?”, and of course 5 came to mind. Honestly, about 50 came to mind, but I narrowed down the list to just 5 killer zombie movies that you probably saw, but don’t remember, or haven’t seen, or you just want to see because you’re awesome and you want to actually oblige my humble request to buy something via the links provided. Whatever the case is, here are 5 killer zombie movies that you should have seen, should see, or maybe you have forgotten about, as chosen by me, the guy that is still pounding the keyboard like there’s no tomorrow.
This zombie movie came out in 2011, and it’s absolutely a great little gem. It’s a movie that is in Spanish, so it has a soft spot in my mind. The movie is like taking “Shaun of the Dead” and filming it in Cuba. What else can I say? This thing has everything you’d expect from a zombie movie, only done with a Spanish edge. There are a lot of gags here, and some great visual effects. From practical effects to digital elements, there’s a lot to look at here, with some great nods to the classics, and some great elements of new material. The name is funny, the characters are hilarious, and you know? It’s one of those movies that you either saw and loved or you saw and forgot about. It came out in 2011, it’s been a few years, have you seen it? No!? What do you mean no? Maybe it’s on Netflix, I don’t know, I don’t subscribe to the service. Juan of the Dead, it’s a “killer” zombie flick, man.
This is a personal favorite of mine. It’s another UK zombie film, and has a great amount of humor. Some of the humor is done with “one liners” and some of it is done through physical language. I love the characters, and love how things progress from bad to worse. The old guys in this movie are absolutely wonderful, and make me wish I grow up to be a badass Englishman, instead of a tired old Mexican. It falls through the same tropes that you would expect from a zombie movie, only it has cockney language, and, well, zombies. I don’t know what to say about this one, it’s fun, it’s fast, it’s a grand standing UK gem if you ask me, which you didn’t.
This movie came out in 1989 and it was most likely panned. If you didn’t catch this one out, then I’m going to question whether or not you love horror movies or not. This is a horror movie that features a great deal of comedy, and some nice visual effects overall. This movie features a bullied teen, a zombie uprising, a pretty girl, and a fast paced plot. It’s equal parts undead, equal parts sex comedy, equal parts horror movie. Scott Grimes puts on a classic with this one. I don’t see it mentioned much, so here you go, a shot at watching a classic from the close of the 1980s.
Ah, the 70s. The 1970s brought on a lot of great movies, and this is one to not miss. Lucio Fulci put on a showcase of all things schlock, gore, and fun with Zombie. This is a part of a series that doesn’t always translate so well. If you’re into Italian horror, then you are going to love the gore here, which has a lot of cool elements. You even get a killer moment where a zombie takes on a shark! The undead here are funny at times, the practical effects are great, and you know what? The Italians can really put on a good horror showcase. Zombie is a great little movie to track down.
This remake was absolutely hardcore. It’s bleak, very bleak. It took on a whole new meaning when Zack Snyder took a classic and reworked it. It has gore, it has taboos, and it holds up surprisingly well. This is a fast, gut wrenching movie with a lot of action. It’s speedy, and it doesn’t pull any punches. Just when you think you got this thing all sewn up, you realize that no one is going to get out alive. It’s a sickening, twisted, and dare I say humorous romp. There are some points of contention, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a killer zombie flick that you should go back and watch again. Released in 2004, it has a tremendous amount of gore, and visual design elements to keep you grounded in all things zombie.
There you have it, a collection of 5 zombie movies that you probably saw, forgot about, or just don’t want to revisit. I did. I love them. I love horror, and I’m just going to get back to my queue of movies that I have to watch, because I’m an idiot still writing a blog that no one reads. Woot?!
5 Italian Horror Movies You Should See Before Dying
When it comes to horror movies, you are not going to find a more vivid example of creativity than that of Italy’s finest. For some reason the Italian movie makers honed in a certain level of macabre and didn’t really turn things up to 11 until after most of their movies were getting boring. It’s true, most of the best Italian horror movies are slow moving, but when they hit the gas, you are thrown through the windshield and taken for a thrill that will definitely stick with you. While American movies tend to blow their loads in gore, Italian horror seems to have a little bit more class before wiping their seed on the curtains. Yep, I went there. It is with that terrible structure in mind that I present to you 5 horror movies that you need to see, and they are straight out of the Italian horror director’s pile up of Eurotrash.
I’ve talked about this movie before, but what seems like a precursor to “Black Swan”, is actually a horrific ghost story. This has color on the mind, and the visuals are vibrant, iconic, mixed with symbolism of religious matters, witchcraft and mood. There’s something beautiful about the elements that come together here and the fire that burns in the fireplace turns into an inferno by the time all is said and done. The art of this film really makes it one of the best movies to come from Dario Argento. The use of color throughout, mixed with the emotional connections of the dancers really comes across grand. It's frightening at times, but more over, it's high art. It feels more like a classic stage play at times, but you'll get your dose of horror sure enough. If you haven’t seen Suspiria, then you’re not a horror movie fan, plain and simple.
Lucio Fulci did what most American Horror movie directors are now doing, but he did it in 1983. He found a way to go beyond just macabre set pieces and go for the jugular in a combination of sequences that are not defined by one genre. Fulci finds a way of creating art out of what should be the grotesque and macabre. The goal was to make a story that didn’t really have a linear plotting, and it worked, creating twist after twist and elements of an art gallery of horror you don’t really understand. Admit it, you don’t get this one, but then again, that’s the point.
This tense film drives the story of college students getting killed long before you saw anything like it in the 1980s. It’s a slasher at times, but focuses more on the “giallo” styling. It has elements of horror, mystery, and suspense before revealing the larger picture. You get a feeling that the killer is motivated by more than just trying to be a psychopath or a boogieman, which makes this one of the more tightly wound Italian set pieces of horror.
The movie that inspired millions of horror fans, and possibly the first major movie to get that moniker of “reality” still hits hard today. It’s a sick movie and it’s a mess of a film that will make you cringe. It is a shock fest gone wrong, and it was marketed as a “banned” movie. Forget movies that rely on that shaky camera footage, this did it better, and far more entertaining than anything you’ve seen. Some compare it to “The Blair Witch Project”, but there’s no comparison, this is a sick movie full of macabre sequencing and horrific elements. A true classy, trashy, picture. The dichotomy works here, if I do say so myself, and of course I do.
I had a hard time trying to pick one more, but I will throw this one into the mix. Two Argento movies in one list? Yeah, it happens. Tenebre is a tightly wound mystery, slasher, and horror movie all rolled into one. The story is a slow burn towards the ultimate reveal. When I first saw it, I was a bit mad at the ending, but after many viewings later, I realize that the strength of Tenebre is the acting and the POV view of the slayings. There’s a deep seeded fear that rises up in this movie, especially when you realize that you’ve been led down the wrong corridor overall. Stephen King’s paranoia that made “Misery” work is found here at times. Visually compelling, sound that keeps your heart beating, and a solid ending makes this one of the best Italian horror movies that you have to see before you die.
What about you? All 2 of you readers out there, drop me a comment, let me know what your favorites are, and for goodness sake buy something from the links so that I can grab a cup of coffee. Or just comment, it’s always nice to see that someone reads my garbage writing.
Looking for grindhouse, horror, or sci-fi films? Please check out our amazon astore featuring all things horror. Don't trust astore? Check out amazon.com, surprisingly they have more grindhouse,horror,and rare sci-fi than you may not have thought possible.
When it comes to European trash movies, I’m a big fan. Whether it’s exploring the evil and satanic nuns of Italian and Spanish fame, or I’m knee deep in the rape-revenge flicks that sliced in pornographic scenes with femme fatales that would put shotguns in the mouths of their oppressors, I love the genres that came out of this era of exploitation cinema.
Today, I wanted to veer into some of my favorites and just recommend that you please help this blog by checking them out, purchasing them, or at least helping me out by going to amazon.com here, and picking up whatever you’d like. I’m 100% freelance and write for a living, so I’m not making billions, and need your help.
Here are 3 cool Eurotrash Blu Ray discs to purchase today:
Baron Blood Blu Ray – Mario Bava really turns up the scar tactics in this story about a Student abroad trying to learn about his family. This movie plays on the sadist ideologies that seemed to run rampant in the exploitation genre, but you’ll find that it’s not exactly gore filled, despite an awesome disc cover. Pre-order this one at a major savings.
Amer Blu Ray – One of the most interesting and beautiful pieces of giallo cinema is found in this 1970s Italian euro trash picture. It might be mislabeled but when you get to the eroticism that is presented here, you’ll understand why even a high definition transfer doesn’t change the notion. You’ll find the transfer to be one of the best reasons to own a blu ray player today.
Living Dead Girl Blu Ray – This French film ties together the hysterics of toxic waste and earthquakes into a terrifying tale about when zombies rise from the grave to feed on the flesh and blood of humans. This transfer is amazing, and you get an awesome amount of features to go with the bloodlust that is sure to entice even the most jaded of horror movie fans.
Today's deal is a double feature Italian Horror Blu Ray set. If you order it from amazon here, you can save a few bucks on it. The synopsis is simple, and quoting from the official Grindhouse Store;
LISA AND THE DEVIL: While on vacation in Spain, an American tourist (Elke Sommer) is drawn into a terrifying world of mystery, madness and murder in this surreal spine chiller directed by Italian horror maestro Mario Bava. A blind countess (Alida Valli), her imbalanced son (Alessio Orano) and a creepy bald butler (Telly Savalas) who carries around a mannequin all come into play in this fantastically bizarre tale liberally spiced with gruesome, gothic deaths.
THE HOUSE OF EXORCISM: Lisa and The Devil was later re-edited and re-released as The House of Exorcism (1976, 91min), adding the horror of diabolical possession, following The Exorcist's phenomenal success. After seeing the devil (Telly Savalas) in an ancient Spanish fresco, comely tourist Lisa Reiner (Elke Sommer) meets him in the flesh. Satan soon takes over her soul and drives her into the hospital, where American priest Father Michael (Robert Alda) does his best to exorcise the demon.
Now that sounds like something you'd be interested in, right? Right? Order it and help me pay for the rent or something.
Remember to leave a comment, to be entered to win a KINDLE FIRE 2. The winner will be announced at the end of the month.
Today's recommendation comes from the Italian horror master Mario Bava. The film "Hatchet for the Honeymoon" is set to be released on Blu Ray, and if you preorder you can save a good amount. Click here to preorder this instant classic from 1970. The Italian horror film is about a fashion designer turned serial killer and the woman that loves him, only she doesn't know he's behind the serial slayings. Things get out of hand and the gore levels are turned up as only Bava can introduce.
Preorder "Hatchet for the Honeymoon" on blu ray by clicking here.
Remember to leave a comment, to be entered to win a KINDLE FIRE 2. The winner will be announced at the end of the month.
Modern exploitation film is alive and well, and if you disagree, you need to see t his major studio film that is a remake of a 1971 film by the same name. The movie that I’m referring to is Straw Dogs, and it is a relatively updated movie with more graphic and sexual violence than 90% of the horror movies that have come out in the last few years. In fact, this film is so hard to watch at times, that I’m already betting a majority of women out there will not agree to seeing it again or even sitting through the mid-point of the film.
The story is an easy one to follow, featuring a screenplay writer and his wife moving back to her hometown deep in the southern part of the United States. While there old flames seem to be rekindled, only they are unwarranted and that leads to some interesting misunderstandings. The locals don’t like the intruder, and therefore mess with him, and when he doesn’t retaliate in a way, the local crew he hired to fix up a barn, decides to leave him for dead while raping his wife, twice. The assault on the wife in this film is hard to watch, not quite as hard to watch as Irreversible, but enough for me not to want to see this multiple times. The violence is juxtaposed in a way with the violence of killing a deer, and that’s an interesting jostling, but it’s nowhere near as brutal in the psyche.
The movie moves forward with a side story, featuring one of my favorite guys from Prison Break, and develops into a vigilante story more than anything else. The movie really takes its toll in the final act, with gore beyond compare. The bloodshed is insane, brutal, and disturbing. You will have to not eat anything while watching the display of violence that is shown here.
Straw Dogs is a modern example of how exploitation film can be made. The movie is hard to watch, and makes me wonder why the MPAA says this is R and then says something like Clerks is R too. Clerks is far less violent and sickening compared to what you get to see on display here. As far as revenge flicks, this one is about as good as you’re going to get, but I wonder what the original was like? I’ll have to investigate the notion.
I was taking a shower yesterday and it hit me, I want to compile a list of the best top 5 cannibal movies ever made. Now, this is going to cause some controversy, especially for those that are either purists or just don’t like the genre. Here is a list that I had to fight over to consider writing and making into a list. These moves are hardcore, and not for the faint of heart.
5. Cannibal Holocaust – This Italian film is the go to film when you want to throw a cannibal viewing party. The film was made for roughly $200,000 and it has to have made the money back by now. It was released in 1980 and then came to video stores all over the world in the mid-1980’s. The insanity was banned, censored, and edited for content. The movie is still one of the more controversial films simply because of the subject matter. It’s got some sick gore, but the pacing lacks luster, which is why this is #5.
4. Jungle Holocaust – Based on a true story? Yeah, the title card says this really happened, but who knows if it really occurred? This jungle film came out in the late 1970’s and it is just as poorly paced as the other films in the genre. This Italian film featured a lot of animal violence and was censored until now. While Peta is not going to enjoy seeing wild animals trampled, severed, and killed, many purists will say it’s nothing more than anything that you’d see on the National Geographic channel. This film features lots of weird nudity, and well, cannibalism. It’s a bit better than the more famous later film.
3. Cannibal Apocalypse – Some call this Euro trash, others just call it what it is, a straight up zombie/cannibal film. I thought this film was actually one of the best options coming out of the Italian horror films. The movie features graphic brutality, and it’s not just cannibals, its police force, wild doctors, hospitals, and so much more. I love this film, and love the poster, and it’s really worth checking out. Mix zombies, cop films, and even a little military action, and you’ll see why this one is awesome.
2. Eaten Alive – While this isn’t a pure sick film, it features some amazing pieces of gore. The film features Crocodiles and Cannibals and well…is an interesting take on the gore filled shock flicks of the 1970’s. The most important thing to remember here is that Robert England stars! Before he was Freddy, he was in this low budget B cannibalistic, monster flick featuring killer crocs!
1. Ravenous – My favorite cannibal film is not something that most people have seen. This film is about a cowardly military officer that gets punished and sent to a remote campsite in the dead of winter. When a mysterious man shows up to the campsite, things start going awry, as we find out that cannibalism has taken hold of everyone, and this thing goes off the rails. It features one of the best endings, and wow, what a way to go out.
There you have it, my 5 top cannibal movies. They are hardcore, they have gore, nudity, and only now are they presented uncensored if you buy them. You'll enjoy them if you like the harder side of cinema. These aren't movies to watch with your children or parents, so make sure that you set aside a few hours for just these things.
Aw yes, another cool cover gets thrown at me by the horror dvd market, and what happens? I end up missing out on something else, because I believe the tag lines and promotional things on the cover. Seven Deaths In The Cat’s Eye is not fun, it’s a boring romp through a variety of different points. I’ve seen a lot of movies, and this one is probably one of the slowest ones I’ve seen.
In 1973 this movie might have been a good idea, and Antonio Margheriti directed this movie about a small village where a cat controls the deaths of anyone that comes by a castle. The cat haunts the area, killing anybody that moves through the area, and alas, horror movie fans have to watch and wait for the ending. It’s sad, such a cool cover for such a boring movie.
The pacing is slow. The visuals are just substandard, and while I like the music, editing, and idea of the film, it really does leave me with a sense of time wasted. Once again, As it is, another bad movie gets the unroyal treatment here. I understand why this could be in the horror genre, and I understand why it can be seen as a good movie, but I just can’t get behind it. I’ve seen far better from the same decade from the same area (Italy) and dare I say, from the same director. If you can withstand the pacing, you might like this one, otherwise, stay away.
So this was a great find, I loved the artwork and wanted to see this film, since it was the original directors cut. The notion was killed though, as the movie is NOT a zombie film at all, and really just another run of the mill horror movie. A Virgin Among The Living Dead is NOT a movie you're going to love, that's for sure.
Franco is a revered cult director, so I was expecting far more from him. There were some spots with blood, but the story makes little to no sense. The plot revolves around a woman who loses her father and now must contend with a sick family (sick as in psycho) who are all trying to gain the fortune left behind. However, amidst all that there are odd scenes full of nudity, and 70's bush, lots of random killing for no apparent reason, and just maddening at times.
The pacing aside, the film looks like a grindhouse picture. There is no updates here, no major clarity, and the rip seems like a vhs rip at best. All the original specs, cigarette burns, pops and noises are here and it can really take you out of the movie. The editing is terrible, the transitions are amateur at best.
The majority of horror fans will fall asleep with this one. The movie has a certain appeal, but the eroticism aside, this 1970's attempt at horror is NOT something you're going to want to see again and again. I love the poster, I love the idea, but man the execution leaves a lot.
It's interesting to note that there are 10+ edited versions of this film floating around in VHS land. If you have seen those copies, they might be far more entertaining than this director's cut. Some reviewers argue that this is Franco's best film, but I say, it's not nearly as good as his other work. But that's just my humble opinion. I love the poster, I'll get that for my room, but the dvd? It's not that great, it's just not.
Well, you can blame a bad promo disc for this rewind edition of Scary Film review. Unfortunately, not every disc I get sent works, and therefore the schedule gets a bit wacky. That's ok, here's a classic rewind look at Nightmare City, one of my favorite Euro-trash films.It was made in Italy, and it's got some chops.
I saw this video a while ago, but then I recently got a dvd of this film and instead of just throwing you a list, I'm going to review this film, then sending you through list hell for the three days following. This movie has a lot messed up things. There is a lot of different scenarios that are so unrealistic that you will laugh. The best part about this film is not so much the lack of story at times, it's the fact that the zombies are fast, they are smart, and they don't necessarily eat you. This is a great little Italian film that I enjoy, but not necessarily for the right reasons. So join me in a little review of Nightmare City.
Nightmare City is a 1980 Italian film by famed director Umberto Lenzi. The movie has been released in different names on video, including "Incubo Sulla Citta Contaminata" and "City of the Walking Dead" and of course Nightmare City. The movie immediately looks like an Italian movie, meaning that the distinct horror movie style that we have noticed in previous Italian Horror movies like "Cemetery Man", "The Church", and "The Night Train Murders", is again seen here. These "tells" of Italian genre horror is more than just terrible dubbing, it's olive tones, and muted colors alongside casual acting and panicking.
The story is about a military plane that has emergency landed in an unnamed European airport, and the press is waiting for a scientist that is coming down. As the press and military await the plane's opening, something weird happens, it's not really explainable really, you just have to see the film. The doors open and out come fast zombies come busting out, stabbing and shooting people outside. This is insane, because the zombies don't really eat the victims, they jst kill them. They stab, shoot, and fight their way through people and magically, don't eat the victims.
The movie then slows down completely. you either love this portion of the film or you hate it. The movie slows down to a crawl and the story starts to take center stage and the film really doesn't make a lot of sense. The zombies also seem to show up at impromptu times, in odd places, an it just continues.
The makeup effects on some of the zombies is lackluster to say the least. The Zombies, at least some of them, have just black stuff on their face. There is a complete lack of attention to detail here, and it makes you kind of sad and/or mad. There are a lot of lazy moments in this film, and then the film pulls the ultimate lazy move...it restarts.
That's right, the end of the film is a restart of sorts. This will jolt you into a frenzy, and it is upsetting. I won't tell you the technique, but it's bad.
Is Nightmare City Scary? : No. This film is entertaining to me. However, there is nothing scary about it to me. Sure there are moments in other zombie films that are meant to be scary, but this film misses everything. Every point that you could possibly have to scare someone is missing in this film. This film is slow paced, and really only worth it for diehard fans of the genre.
I tried to think of the scariest thing for you guys, and the only thing that I could think of was the sub plot of the people stuck at the airport worried about their families. Yes, that can be scary, thinking that your family can be in the line of fire. Without technology, like cell phones, this movie makes a lot of sense and could be scary, only if you really think about that. The film is dated, it feels dated and really isn't worthwhile.
If you are a fan of the genre you might like this, otherwise you should just avoid it. Nightmare City is a nice little piece of film, however there are a lot of holes, and some obvious lazy film making. Nightmare city is scary, but not in the way you expect or want.
Sometimes I get surprised by film that I haven’t seen, especially when I’m at the local video store; that’s where I found this semi-gem, if that’s possible to find. Cherry Falls was coupled with another film, but I haven’t watched the other one, so I’ll review this one first, and the other one, later.
Cherry Falls never hit movie theaters, but it looks like it should. It came out around the time when Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and other films were getting my idiot friends all riled up. The first thing I noticed about this film is how cute Brittany Murphy was when she was younger, and not blonde. The film also stars some other idiots, like Jay Mohr and others, but no one is going to remember the others…at least I didn’t.
Despite the fact that the Sheriff suggested the teenagers all have sex, and therefore set off a “sex party” where all the teens would do it on one night, there was no nudity. At least not any that I’d write on this blog, as it was lame. I’m just stating, that the film gives you the old bait and switch.
The effects and gore are real yet again. This was before the CG era of blood effects, so there are legit blood and gore effects that are right on par with a lot of other milder horror films. This film does in fact have a body count, but the slashings are quickly edited, cameras are exchanged, which makes me think that this film was made for tv, and not necessarily for large-scale release. Despite a budget of 14 million dollars, this film has some faults, all targeted about the stupid plot twists, and lack of gore. Wait, is that even possible?
Is Cherry Falls a Scary Film? : No.
Once again, teenage horror movies lose me. I’m about a decade removed from these types of horror films, and after all these years I still don’t fully grasp their appeal. I think that the outcome convolutes the film quite a bit, and I don’t like the way that the killer gets his end.
Cherry Falls suffers from a lot of different plot points, mostly derived from lackluster logical page turns. However, that doesn’t mean that this film is all bad. There are some great moments in the film, and some creative slashings, and clever lines. In fact, the sequences leading up to the reveal of the killer are done in a fashion that I haven’t seen done in a long time. The lines delivered are both sarcastic, and true, and when the tense moments build, this thing takes off into a frenetic pace.
I recommend Cherry Falls for those that love teenage horror films, and are tired of the obvious choices. This film fits quite well with other teen screamers, and while it’s not going to make a lot of top 10 lists, it will match up with a lot of other, more prominent movies in the genre.
In 1982 I wasn't even a thought in my parents mind. I didn't arrive until a year later, and things got better for your old pal sir jorge. Dario Argent really pushes the boundaries of art and film, and it shows that art sometimes supercedes horror, especially in the setting up of his final solution. I watched this film in high definition with full surround sound, so I really took in the experience, more than usual. This film is an odd one, and one that admittedly, took me a long time to finally sit down and watch. So let's all take a moment and look back in time once again for this 1982 classic, Tenebre aka Tenebrae from directly and horror mastermind Dario Argento.
The story is a simple one up front. A killer is on the loose, and he's killing people with connections to a writer who is on tour in Rome. The book in the film is called "Tenebre" and we see it in the film many times. The movie moves away from simple horror methods, to murder mstery as the film obviously wants to sway you into picking the killer's identity. As the movie progresses our main character "Peter Neal" becomes more and more obsessed with finding and stopping the killer, but there's more to the story than just a rampaging serial killer.
The film itself isn't the greatest of quality. However, the attention to details and colors are apparent yet again. You can always tell a Dario Argento film by the use of emotion and colors throughout. You can see the grain of the film never really shows its age, and the shots each are systematically put out to prove yet again that you can mix horror and art in such a unique way. The film progresses through night, dark, rain and clarity, while never sacrificing the viewers pretenses.
There are sexual references in this film that I thought were amazing. Domination, S&M, humiliation, bukkake, oral sex, and so much more are touted in an intense flashback.The flashback shows limited nudity, but there is so much more that is told through the simple segment, that you can't help but think about what message is being sent through this obviously provocative tale. The use of censorship here provokes the imagination to an all new sexual clarity that can only be done by NOT engaging into the full scenario that it implies. One noted psychologies studied the film and concluded that the deviancies between men and women are the central issues. He noted that the killer kills perverts, or supposed perverts. However, those things are only seen if you really study the film, or ask questions throughout. I ask a lot of questions and take mental notes to what the visuals are trying to portray. So I noticed the sex as a backdrop, but only if you're wide awake and know how to diagnose such things. If not, you'll not notice because the movie doesn't hit you in the face with sex like other films.
The movie goes through a nice body count without getting too gorey. This film actually has limited gore, considering the death sequences. Much like "Suspiria" didn't show you the full slayings, but rather a first person view of stabbings and control, this film takes similar steps to prevent over saturation of gore early on.
Much like many other Argento films, the ending brings everything together and all bets are off on the gore and blood. We see a huge eclipse of sorts from the rest of the film, and we see a smart and witty way to deal with the main character, the revelation of the killer, the identity, and how to really push this away from thriller/mystery territory to a horror film with brains.
Is Tenebre Scary? : No. The film isn't really scary. In fact most people will be bored with the pacing. The pacing of this film is terrible at times. I know that Argento is setting up a sub-genre sometimes referred to "giallo" and really trying to promote mystery over horror and gore, but it really takes a lot out of you in regards to timing and perception. That being said, this movie isn't terrible, it's just hard to watch at times.
The situations call for a great deal of dialogue and effect. However, this gets in the way of the serial murders as we can never really get to know certain characters or motivations until they are way too late. There is a great deal of attention put into swerving the audience into believing that the killer is a mysterious woman. But not just her, there are moments when you second guess everyone, including Neal! When the final bell starts to ring, you swear you have the answers, but it doesn't happen, it just doesn't happen and the rug is pulled from under you and you realize how genius the writers are.
Tenebre is not recommended viewing for everyone. Diehard Argento fans will argue that this is a better film than most other horror/mystery films in the genre. However, The great thing about this film really relies on your attention span. If you have a long attention span and can deal with the blood flow at the end, you're in good hands, as Argento masterfully guides you through a murder mystery with trace elements of Horror and gore to fill your cup. I for one enjoyed the sounds, and colors, and liked it for what it was. You decide though, and watch it if you are an Argento fan or just curious.
Bonus!
The film really had me interested with the sounds and transitions, specifically the soundtrack.
Argento had used the Italian rock band Goblin to provide the musical scores to two of his previous films, Deep Red (1975) and Suspiria (1977). The group had disbanded in 1980, but three of the band's members—Claudio Simonetti (Roland Jupiter-8, Roland Vocoder Plus, Minimoog, Piano, Electric piano, Oberheim DMX Digital Drum, Roland TR-808, Roland MC4 Computer), Fabio Pignatelli (Fender bass normal and fretless), and Massimo Morante (Electric and Acoustic Guitar)—reunited at Argento's request to work on Tenebrae. The resulting synth-driven score was credited to "Simonetti-Pignatelli-Morante".
And it shows! The synth-rock style of music in this film is amazing. There are points that transition the story from one moment to the next with some great music. I really loved the soundtrack and look forward to picking up on Vinyl later on this year. You can find the cd if you look hard enough, but it's really a great thing to have good sound to match your movie. Argento really outdid himself with Tenebre's soundtrack, it's really the best part of the film when you're bored with some of the story line.
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I'm tired this morning. I was out last night watching Death by Stereo and Strung Out playing here in Seattle. I'm tired, but I still snuck in a horror movie to review on the site. My latest endeavor takes me back to 1977. That's right, we're going back to the seventies and will be looking at a movie directed by Dario Argento. The classic Italian movie we'll review today is Suspiria, released in 1977 and now consider a cult classic.
Suspiria is not the craziest film up front, however, it shows so much talent and intrigue throughout the film, but still has some random spots of soreness and really lackluster production. Whatever the case is, Suspiria is a creepy film about duality, dreams, and so much more.
The movie starts with one of the best kills in horror movie. There is an attack on a dance student and it's filmed in pov, something that porno movies are now famous for, and it's amazing. The director puts a shoulder camera of sorts, but not a nauseating view point and moves forward. The killer stalks his prey and then stabs a woman, before throwing her through a glass window. This is such a cool sequence and is one of the best in all horror films, hands down.
The editing is brilliant throughout this film. The editing and points of view do not change every 30 seconds like they do today. There are shots from far away that last 20 to 30 seconds, there are long winded conversations without switching back and forth. I like this style of film making and would appreciate more horror movies sticking to that.
The colors make this film more than just a horror movie. This movie has bright red blood and bright lights with color filters that create such an ambiance that you can't find in a lot of movies today. Throughout the film color evokes emotion and while the acting might not be amazing the colors coupled with the acting create the whole emotional connection needed to care about characters in these films.
There are some points in this film that can seem boring. The pacing is not like today's standards. This film punches you in the face, then slowly rebuilds before dropping you into complete madness. There are moments in the film that rely heavily on sound and colors. The point of view that you saw as the killer in the early moments of the film become overused towards the end of the film which provides a lot of entertainment with a Ballet School as the backdrop.
One of the best parts of this film is a moment where a girl ends up being trapped in a large room full of Razor wire. That's right, move over "Saw" you didn't invent razor wire trapped rooms, we see one here in all its shiny glory. This room is so insane, it's crazy, and it's one of the best parts of this film. If you can't make it through the ambient, dark, and colorful film, at least stick around for the razor wire trap, it's insane.
Is Suspiria a scary movie? : Yes. This film takes a shot at two major scary points in the human emotion. The will to learn a craft and succeed and the fear of leaving your comofortable world and become a hero. These are my opinions, not necessarily the purposes of Dario Argento's vision, so you have to take it with a certain brevity before you tell me I'm wrong.
The first notion that scares me personally is the human emotion that is involved in this film. Learning a craft is not easy, I learned a lot in College and somewhere along the way graduated and had to leave. I moved a long way away from Home and started with nothing but a degree. No one cared about my degree and now I sit in a random office working on tech stuff. So what? Well, this film's main character leaves the comfort of her home to a new school, to try and learn dance. Her dream fulfilled, and along the way things get really tough when she witnesses a murder. I don't know why, but the juxtaposition of skill and death are great metaphors for our life. We either live fast and die fast or we slowly fade away in our slow minded universes of tech boredom and cubicle land nightmares. Think about it.
The second scary point in this film involves the fear of becoming sort of a hero. The climax of the film, for me, was when our heroine has to kill off a ghost and burn the place down, all while escaping. To me that's a hero, I know you can argue that it's cowardess to run while the world burns, but to me it's not. I believe that the hardest thing to do sometimes is to slay the demons in our lives. Now, I don't mean a religious token demonology, I mean demons as a representation of anything that can be bad in our lives. There is a moment of faith that we all have to face, for me it was to leave Los Angeles, move to a new city with no family or friends and start brand new. That step for me was scary and it paid off in major dividends.
I know, I'm trying to shove the final moments of this film into a relational database of ideas that compare myself to the character even though I'm doing a terrible job. If those two reasons are not really floating your boat, consider the film as a whole. Dario Argento does a masterful job pushing the realms of surrealism and horror with such ease. The long shots, the foot steps, the rain, the color, and the storyline featuring tame gore and horrific situations really put your mind to the test of frustration and fear. What is worse than being trapped in a room of razor wire?
Suspiria is scary. I love Argento's work here, I thought the movie was great. I thought that the slow points were made better with the final circumstances and results of the film. I thought that for a 1977 film this movie pushed the limits of fear without compromising horror elements that make us all fans of the genre. Check out Suspiria and don't mind the slow build and lackluster gore effects, enjoy the art form for what it is trying to be...classic.
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I saw this video a while ago, but then I recently got a dvd of this film and instead of just throwing you a list, I'm going to review this film, then sending you through list hell for the three days following. This movie has a lot messed up things. There is a lot of different scenarios that are so unrealistic that you will laugh. The best part about this film is not so much the lack of story at times, it's the fact that the zombies are fast, they are smart, and they don't necessarily eat you. This is a great little Italian film that I enjoy, but not necessarily for the right reasons. So join me in a little review of Nightmare City.
Nightmare City is a 1980 Italian film by famed director Umberto Lenzi. The movie has been released in different names on video, including "Incubo Sulla Citta Contaminata" and "City of the Walking Dead" and of course Nightmare City. The movie immediately looks like an Italian movie, meaning that the distinct horror movie style that we have noticed in previous Italian Horror movies like "Cemetery Man", "The Church", and "The Night Train Murders", is again seen here. These "tells" of Italian genre horror is more than just terrible dubbing, it's olive tones, and muted colors alongside casual acting and panicking.
The story is about a military plane that has emergency landed in an unnamed European airport, and the press is waiting for a scientist that is coming down. As the press and military await the plane's opening, something weird happens, it's not really explainable really, you just have to see the film. The doors open and out come fast zombies come busting out, stabbing and shooting people outside. This is insane, because the zombies don't really eat the victims, they jst kill them. They stab, shoot, and fight their way through people and magically, don't eat the victims.
The movie then slows down completely. you either love this portion of the film or you hate it. The movie slows down to a crawl and the story starts to take center stage and the film really doesn't make a lot of sense. The zombies also seem to show up at impromptu times, in odd places, an it just continues.
The makeup effects on some of the zombies is lackluster to say the least. The Zombies, at least some of them, have just black stuff on their face. There is a complete lack of attention to detail here, and it makes you kind of sad and/or mad. There are a lot of lazy moments in this film, and then the film pulls the ultimate lazy move...it restarts.
That's right, the end of the film is a restart of sorts. This will jolt you into a frenzy, and it is upsetting. I won't tell you the technique, but it's bad.
Is Nightmare City Scary? : No. This film is entertaining to me. However, there is nothing scary about it to me. Sure there are moments in other zombie films that are meant to be scary, but this film misses everything. Every point that you could possibly have to scare someone is missing in this film. This film is slow paced, and really only worth it for diehard fans of the genre.
I tried to think of the scariest thing for you guys, and the only thing that I could think of was the sub plot of the people stuck at the airport worried about their families. Yes, that can be scary, thinking that your family can be in the line of fire. Without technology, like cell phones, this movie makes a lot of sense and could be scary, only if you really think about that. The film is dated, it feels dated and really isn't worthwhile.
If you are a fan of the genre you might like this, otherwise you should just avoid it. Nightmare City is a nice little piece of film, however there are a lot of holes, and some obvious lazy film making. Nightmare city is scary, but not in the way you expect or want.
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